Hello! It’s been a while :-) In fact, it’s been more than three years since I last published a post! As life seasons and family circumstances shifted for us over the few years, it became clear it was time to retire unOriginalMom, at least for a while. All of the old craft and DIY content I created lives on here, and I’m so proud of that creative journey and all that it represents in my life!
I began this blog back in 2012 as a brand new stay-at-home-mom, in the beginning of the Pinterest-era…before social media algorithms were really even a thing, and long before anyone was called an “influencer.” As the blogging landscape shifted and social media transformed, it became more and more time consuming to get real eyes and attention on the content I was creating. This hobby-turned-part-time-job grew to become a lot more work than I was willing to put in. I also felt some significant burn-out in my DIY/crafting energies during COVID, and so creating content felt forced and inauthentic.
Right around that time – and VERY unexpectedly – I ended up with a part-time job opportunity working in worship ministry at our church. God opened some doors that I wasn’t even knocking on to lead me into a season that has been incredibly life-giving, challenging, and beautiful for me personally. Between that role, and the role of motherhood to kids who keep growing up (even though I tell them repeatedly to stop), life has been very full!
Here’s my confession: I don’t create much anymore. My Silhouette is collecting dust, I haven’t hosted a themed party in ages, all the rooms in our house look exactly the same as they did four years ago, and home decor has become a chore. All the things I used to blog about – crafts, decor, and DIY projects – aren’t really part of my life anymore! Because of that, I haven’t posted anything new in quite some time (my last actual blog post was in March of 2022!), and my blog design and website maintenance are hopelessly out of date!
I’ve still felt the occasional pull to write and share content with all of you…but I struggle a lot with imposter syndrome and authenticity. I never really felt qualified to be a blogger in the first place – hence the name of my blog! I just didn’t think I had much to share that people would even care about. But somehow, my little corner of the internet that started with monthly pageviews in the double digits grew into this website, that somehow hundreds of thousands of people are still visiting even after years of neglect! So, maybe – just maybe – I do have something of value to share. And maybe I’m not quite ready to be done with unOriginalMom.
Why am I telling you this? (And who is even reading this, anyway?) I think because I need to give myself permission to keep using this space as a place to use my voice. And because I still have things worth sharing, even though I’m in a different stage of my life. Travel ideas and tips, gift ideas, practical fashion finds, organizational hacks, favorite recipes, faith… who knows? I’m not the most original person on the internet, not by a long shot. But maybe I can keep passing along ideas and sparks of inspiration to help and encourage some other moms out there in the rhythms and routines of daily life.
I have no idea what this will look like, or what I will write about – maybe a post or two a month, maybe a post or two a year, or something in between! But I’m giving myself permission to start writing again…and I’m inviting you to come and follow along.
Get your copy of my FREE meal planning binder!
Sign up to get a free copy of my meal planning system - an 11 page printable meal planning binder, complete with a pantry inventory, shopping list, and more to help get on top of your menu each week!
